2026 MLB All-Stars: Misiorowski, Ohtani Headline Must-Watch List
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- Jacob Misiorowski of the Milwaukee Brewers averages 100.5 mph on his fastball — the hardest ever recorded for a starter by 1.6 mph — with 10 fastballs at 104 mph and one at 105.5; his first-half line of 111 innings, 1.62 ERA, 167 strikeouts and 27 walks mirrors Pedro Martínez's 2000 season (106 IP, 1.44 ERA, 140 K, 20 BB), per ESPN's Jeff Passan.
- Mason Miller of the San Diego Padres averages 101.2 mph on his fastball — harder than Misiorowski — and leads MLB across so many Statcast categories 'his page looks like someone stamped it with the 100 emoji,' while his slider grades out as even more valuable than the heater by pitch-type value.
- Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs ranks first among all MLB fielders in Statcast fielding run value at plus-17 runs, with 95th-percentile top-end speed and 91st-percentile arm strength, prompting Schoenfield to ask whether he's the best defensive center fielder of all time.
- Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers is on track for his 16th straight season with an OPS+ of 110 or better and his 14th straight at 130 or better, putting him among only 23 players in history to reach that sustained tier, with batting-practice footage showing him repeatedly lining drives to the shortstop gap.
- Kevin McGonigle, a 21-year-old Detroit Tigers rookie, is one of just two MLB players this season — alongside Juan Soto — with walk and strikeout rates above the 88th percentile, and he owns the third-lowest chase rate in the majors, per Passan.
- Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks has racked up 53 career triples and has never been thrown out attempting to stretch a double, leading the National League in triples season after season, with Doolittle writing that he flies around the bases 'with an almost maniacal look on his determined face.'
Why it matters: The 2026 All-Star Game in Philadelphia showcases a generational spread of talent — Misiorowski's fastball is rewriting the starter velocity record and McGonigle's plate discipline has him drawing Juan Soto comps as a rookie, while peer quotes throughout the piece (including from Pete Crow-Armstrong, Corbin Carroll and William Contreras) show active players openly marveling at what they're seeing. For fans, that convergence of historic individual feats in one midsummer showcase is the reason the game matters beyond exhibition play.
